There's a Lion loose in Essex!

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 3:14 am

I'm popping in and out getting ready for friends to visit, but just had to post this:

BBC News - Essex Police investigate 'lion' sighting near St Osyth

It's all a bit comic at the moment, but oooer!:-3

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 3:26 am

As long as it doesnt walk over the bridge it's safe for me to be in my garden

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 3:53 am

Take a camera? Might be a chance for some great close up shots.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 6:39 am

Oscar got out of her cage?

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 7:52 am

I don't find It In the remotest bit comical.

After the appalling treatment and abuse of Annie the elephant, progress has been made to outlaw the keeping of wild animals for circus purposes.

No wild animal especially a Lion should ever be kept by circus's. It should be bloody well Illegal. In this age of engdangered species, no-one In their right mind should be paying money to see wild animals kept In these conditions.

There are police marksman everywhere looking for It... If they find It, they will kill It. No animal deserves that.

If you think that's comical.... then laugh away.... without me.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 8:37 am

oscar;1402231 wrote: I don't find It In the remotest bit comical.

After the appalling treatment and abuse of Annie the elephant, progress has been made to outlaw the keeping of wild animals for circus purposes.

No wild animal especially a Lion should ever be kept by circus's. It should be bloody well Illegal. In this age of engdangered species, no-one In their right mind should be paying money to see wild animals kept In these conditions.

There are police marksman everywhere looking for It... If they find It, they will kill It. No animal deserves that.

If you think that's comical.... then laugh away.... without me.

Even your Daily Mail thinks it a large domestic cat. They wont kill it if its a ginger tom

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:00 am

Snowfire;1402235 wrote: Even your Daily Mail thinks it a large domestic cat. They wont kill it if its a ginger tom

If It turns out It's not a Lion, with all those police marksmen poised, they'll just have to shoot an Innocent civilian Instead.... they wouldn't want to waste their day.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:34 am

oscar;1402236 wrote: If It turns out It's not a Lion, with all those police marksmen poised, they'll just have to shoot an Innocent civilian Instead.... they wouldn't want to waste their day.

To be honest, the marksmen's first priority is to protect human life. Firing hypodermic tranquiliser would be useless against an animal of that size in close proximity to the public it could kill an adult before it goes down. I can imagine the headlines in the Mail if that happened.

While I agree with you about animals in circuses, thats another issue. First priority is protect the public

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:47 am

Snowfire;1402240 wrote: To be honest, the marksmen's first priority is to protect human life. Firing hypodermic tranquiliser would be useless against an animal of that size in close proximity to the public it could kill an adult before it goes down. I can imagine the headlines in the Mail if that happened.

While I agree with you about animals in circuses, thats another issue. First priority is protect the public Oh I don't know. I've seen the police kettle worse at an EDL protest.

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 1:27 am

Seems there was no lion. Probably mistaken identity. How someone can mistake a 2 foot cat for an eight foot lion beats me, but I suppose seen at an uncertain distance in the middle of a field with nothing nearby to give a scale it must be possible. Seems to have happened with reports of the Beast of Bodmin, too. (Though I'm still hopeful;))

So nobody hurt, there was no lion, and it seems the people of Essex have had a thoroughly amusing day watching the police hurtling about the place.

BBC News - Essex 'lion': Police call off St Osyth animal search

Post by **Betty Boop** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 1:50 am

Clodhopper;1402279 wrote: Seems there was no lion. Probably mistaken identity. How someone can mistake a 2 foot cat for an eight foot lion beats me, but I suppose seen at an uncertain distance in the middle of a field with nothing nearby to give a scale it must be possible. Seems to have happened with reports of the Beast of Bodmin, too. (Though I'm still hopeful;))

So nobody hurt, there was no lion, and it seems the people of Essex have had a thoroughly amusing day watching the police hurtling about the place.

BBC News - Essex 'lion': Police call off St Osyth animal search

Keep hoping, my brother has seen something in Bodmin, and it wasn't a domestic cat.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 7:11 am

I think they couldn't find It..

After all.... they were looking for an orange creature, with a ridiculous hair do and long nails.... that's most of Essex.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 8:10 am

Thinking about It.... bet David Dickinson was worried.

theia · Post by **theia** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 8:29 am

oscar;1402304 wrote: I think they couldn't find It..

After all.... they were looking for an orange creature, with a ridiculous hair do and long nails.... that's most of Essex.

That made me giggle

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 10:15 am

On one occasion my mother in law was sitting reading a report about a black panther seen near where she lives, she was in the area at the time and commented she hadn't seen anything - then it dawned - she was walking her dog - a black standard poodle 31" at the shoulder and unlike most with an undocked tail. Black dog/black panther you can see the similarity I suppose. why anyone would assume it's a big cat first is beyond me. I suppose they think it went to the beach for a paddle.

The Angus Big Cat

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 11:01 am

Keep hoping, my brother has seen something in Bodmin, and it wasn't a domestic cat.

Has he now? I really DO hope, and there have been reports going back 50 years or so that I'm aware of, but the lack of scat or prints is a worry. Still, we've invasive species all over the place so anything from some sort of lynx to a puma wouldn't be a total surprise.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 11:07 am

There Is more chance of big cats roaming our moors than there Is of there being none.

When the Dangerous Animals Act came In force In 1976 many private collectors turned their animals loose rather than have them destroyed. Stands to reason there would be sightings..

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 2:08 pm

That would account for a cluster of sightings around that period, but when they died out that would be that except in the highly unlikely situation a viable breeding population was released close enough to find eachother and never got noticed.

No poo. No paw prints. Just some film, most of it pretty dodgy, just some of it rather puzzling but not at all conclusive. And these reports that have been coming for years.

chuckle. It's a bit win/win in a way. If there are big cats there - wow. How have they managed it? And wow. A native big cat species!

If not, then what a fascinating commentary on human nature as well as the nature of human perception! Cos one thing is certain - a lot of people truly believe they have seen a big cat. Even when it's a medium sized dog - if their minds are primed to see a cat.

tude dog · Post by **tude dog** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 8:26 am

I'd just keep my .30-30 handy. Bet the pelt would bring a pretty good buck.

Wonder what cat meat tastes like?

Please, don't tell me like chicken.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 9:55 am

tude dog;1402390 wrote: I'd just keep my .30-30 handy. Bet the pelt would bring a pretty good buck.

Wonder what cat meat tastes like?

Please, don't tell me like chicken.

A little fishy maybe?

tude dog · Post by **tude dog** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 4:44 pm

YZGI;1402399 wrote: A little fishy maybe?

Shoulda figured.

Catfish :-5

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 1:01 am

chuckle. I suspect if you did manage to shoot the Beast of Bodmin, you'd be lynched and used as crab bait by a mob of angry Cornish folk who seem to have got quite fond of it!

And anyway, if you really want fame as a big game hunter, there's always Loch Ness...